Telephone-index.



F. w. COLBY. TELEPHONE INDEX. APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 1915- Patented Feb. 15,1916.

Inventor. FredericK W.Co|b by wd M&

scribed.

FREDERTCK W. COLBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TELEPHONE-INDEX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

' Applcation filed April 19, 1915. Serial No. 22,424.

telephonic addresses in convenient mode and accessible form.

It consists generally of a. fabric or other suitable, durable flexible strip secured to a spring-actuated roller contained within a casing, the strip end normally projecting through a longitudinal slot in the casing and being adapted to be pulled to unroll and present to view the names or other indicia noted thereon. lVhile primarily .designed for use in connection with telephones, it is obvious that it has a wide range of usefulness; for example, as a time-table holder in railroad offices, as a road map holder attached to the dash of an automobile, a

topographical map on the struts of an aeroplane, or, when constructed on a larger scale, as holders for hydrographical, me

teorological maps in commercial or educational use.

The obj eot of this invention is to provide a, compact device of the character stated which is constructed of few and inexpensive parts, easily assembled to form an efficient whole.

A further object is to provide such a de vice'with a mimmum ofmoving parts and having such parts adapted to function with a modicum of friction. Another object is to provide a means for facility-of springtension adjustment of the roller or spool bearing the index fabric.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed clairrs.

There has been illustratedin the accompanying drawings a selected embodiment of this invention as adapted. for use with a telephone receiver and which'will now be de- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a telephone instrument showing the improved telephone index applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal'section on the line 2-2, of Fig. 3, the strip being omitted; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2, looking up; Fig. L is a section on the line 44:, Fig. 2, looking down; Fig. 5 shows the upper end of the device, the parts being in the position for varying the spring tension of the roller; Fig. 6 is a detail in perspective of the means for attaching the strip to the roller and to the handle and stop device; Fig. 7 is a. section on the line 7-7, Fig. 4, some of the parts being left in elevation.

The new device is shown attached to the conventional telephone receiving instrument which has a base 1 and standard 2. The employment of this novel index does not entail alteration or disarrangement of any of the parts of the telephone instrument being simply detachably secured by the clamp 3 to the standard 2. The index is detachably secured to the standard andcomprises a cylindrical casing 4:- This casing is preferably made of some light sheet metal at once insuring a minimum of weight and maximum durability. The roller or spool 5,

' similarly constructed, is rotatably positioned within this casing and the indicia-bearing strip 6 is wound thereon. The strip is preferably composed of a light, strong fabric but may, of course, be made of paper or other flexible material. The casing 4 is adapted to be supported in upright position,'as shown. The spool is revolubly suspended, and, through the novel construction disclosed, is adapted to give rise to an inconsiderable amount of friction.

The spool 5 has upper and lower heads 7 and 8, respectively. The upper head 7 of the spool has an annular slot 9 into which the spool end is secured by brazing, by a driving fit or other suitable manner. This head is of an appreciably smaller diameter I than the inside bore of the casing so that upon the spool rotation there is here no contact and hence a complete absence of frictional resistance to rotation. The head is centrally apertured and is adapted to receive therethrough the post 10. The spool is carried by and suspended from this post. The post is transversely bored and receives a pin 11 upon which the spool head 7 rests.

-A ..radial slot 12 may be out in the head 7,

if desired, to provide means for the facile assembling of the partsfor the insertion of the post with its pin secured therein through the head 7 into normal operating position. A pair of depending studs 13 and 14 are aflixed to the head and are adapted to have engaged thereagainst the pin 11 of the post 10 which tends to turn under force and has an integral downwardly projecting sleeve 18 which forms, in conjunction with the aperture, a bearing for the rotatable post 10. The relative lengths of the casing 4 and the spool 5 and the lengths of the flange 17 and sleeve 18 are such that, as shown, the flange and sleeve do not contact with the top face of the spool head 7.

The collar 19 is positioned about the post 10 on the upper face of the cylinder head. The. collar, which is substantially annular, is split, providing an opening 20 leading to the post 10. The spring 15, preferably a strip of thin tempered steel of suitable resiliency, has one end thereof passed in through the opening 20 and enters a diametrical longitudinal slot 21 in the post, passes therethrough and emergent is coiled about the post 10 a short space in the same direction as its former coil. The collar 19 has an inside diameter only greater than the diameter of the post sufliciently to permit the reception of the short portions of the thin spring thus coiled about the outside of the post. The post 10 has a transverse boring in which is received the split pin 23. The pin is so positioned as to hold the portion of the spring within the slot 21. against vertical movement. The end 24 of the collar is beveled and, as shown in Fig. 4, offers a substantially spiral guiding medium to the entrant spring portion, thus minimizing any unusual bending stress which would be present were the turn sharply defined. The

spring is coilable about the collar 19, its

other end being anchored in the casing cap 25. For this purpose, as best shown in Fig. 4, a pair of openings are made in the side of the cap. The spring passes through the opening 26 to the outside of the cap and,

extending a short space thereagainst, reenters through the opening 27 and its end 28is backwardly turned. thus affording a retentive anchorage of this end. This cap is adapted to be positioned upon and'to overlap the casing 4. It is retained in position by means of the screws 29 and 30 which are received in threaded engagement in the cap on the opposite'portions thereof. The inner ends of these screws make an adjustably tensioned contact with the annular flange 17 so that by grasping the casing cap 25, the whole spool supporting mechanism and spool may be lifted from the casing. WVhen the cap is positioned upon the casing the screw 30 enters the notch 31 cut in the top edge of the casing while the screw 29 enters the same distance within the upper end of a longitudinal slot 32 which extends downwardly to a point near the bottom of the casing. These two cap screw detents function to retain the cap immovably with relation to the casing 4, yet do not prevent its facile detachment therefrom.

The bottom spool head 8 functions simply as a lower guiding member for the spool 5 within the casing 4. This lower head has preferably a relatively large annular aperture 33 and an annular shoulder 34. The shoulder embraces the bottom end of the spool with a fit which is sufliciently tight to prevent its accidental release yet permits the easy manual detachment. This end of the casing 4 is closed by the cap 36 which is preferably brazed therein. The suspension of the spool is such that there is no contact between the revoluble spool head 8 and the casing cap 36.

The attachment of the data-bearing fabric or strip 6 to the spool and to its handle 38 is simple and inexpensive. A welt 37, comprising a piece of fabric, is formed on each endof the strip preferably by being stitched thereon. The spool 5 has out therein a longitudinal opening or slot 35 which extends throughout its length. It is closed at the upper end by means of the permanent spool head 7 while access thereto may be had by removing the lower detachable head 8. The strip is slipped within the spool edgewise--the welt functioning as a longitudinal detent for the strip, holding the end securely within the spool interior.

The slot 32 in the casing 4 is open at the top, but. is closed at the bottom by the easing cap 36. The strip may be inserted edgewise in this'casing slot. The tubular handle 38 is adapted to have the strip similarly inserted in a longitudinal slot 39 therein and the strip held by the welt 37 on this strip end. The slot in this tube is closed at the top by means of a cap 40 secured thereto which functions to prevent-vertical disengagement of the strip. This handle 38 further functions as a detent preventive of the strip end completely passing within the casing-slot under the tensioned stress of the spring acting to coil the fabric upon the spool.

lVhile any desirable clamping means may be employed, the form preferred consists of a two-part clamp, one member 3 of which partially encircles the casing and is brazed or suitably secured thereto, and at its other end has attached thereto by the pin 41, the complementary member 42 cooperatively functioning to embrace the standard 2. Tensioned adjustment is afforded by means of the screw 13 received in thread engagement in one of the members.

The assemblage of the device is simple and its parts are readily accessible and their adjustment or replacement is quickly and easily attained while a minimum of friction is secured through the novel bearing and actuation of the spool.

The fabric strip is inserted by lifting the cap 25 which carries with it and withdraws the spool 5 from the casing. The head 8 is removed from the spoollower end. The fabric can then be inserted edgewise in the spool slot, its welt retaining the strip end within the spool hub, while the slot in the tubular handle 38 imilarly receives and retains the other welted end of the strip. The spool and now attached strip are lowered within the casing 5, the strip passing edgewise down the longitudinal casing slot 32. The tubular handle retaining the one end is thus positioned on the exterior of the casing. The tension of the spring is adjusted by turning the cap and then positioning it upon the casingbeing held against rotation thereon by means of the two screws. Increased or lessened spring tension is easily attained by lifting the cap from the casing, as shown in Fig. 5, and, while the spool and post are held against rotation by the strip-handle and detent, by turning the cap which functions to coil or to uncoil the spring about the spool-bearing post. The spring. in case of a break, may be easily replaced by unscrewing the cap from the cylinder'head whence the spring may be detached from the cap and from the post upon removal of the split pin 23, and a new one then inserted.

The various parts of this structure are so made that when operativelv assembled, the space between the top of the post 10 and the cap interior is less than the space between the cvlinde'r head flange and sleeve and the top of the spool head 7 so that any vertical movement can only cause the post with its small possible contact surface to bear against the interior face of the cap an efficient friction reducing factor. The lower spool head is made so as to fit sufiiciently closely to avoid any considerable transverse movement yet is loose enough to permit relatively free rotation of the spool. Further, this lower spool head 8 has a relatively large central aperture which effectively reduces its weight. As stated, a radial slot 12 may be cut in the upper spool head 7 to provide for the insertion of the post 10 and its transverse pin 11. however, to reduce manufacturing costs, this slot is preferably omitted as the post and pin may be inserted through the opposite end of the spool and positioned in the head aperture.

There is thus provided a device-the production costs of which are low, which is simple, efficient and easy of operation with few and easily accessible parts having slight liability to derangement and ease of replacement and adjustment.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described. a cylindrical casing having a longitudinal slot, a cap, a spring actuated spool having av head rotatably secured to said cap, an annular guiding ring detachably secured to said spool at its opposite end, the spool having a longitudinal slot extending from said end to a point adjacent to the head thereof, and a strip attached to said spool and extending through. the slot in the casing.

2. In a device of the class described, a cylindrical casing having a longitudinal slot, a cap detachably secured to one end of said casing, means to prevent relative rotation between the cap and the casing, a spool having a head rotatably secured to said cap, a' helical spring secured to said cap and to said head, said spool being provided with a slot extending longitudinally thereof from a point adjacent said head to the opposite end, an annular guiding ring detachably secured to the end of said spool and adapted to maintain concentr c rotation between said spool and said casing, a strip adapted to be secured to the slot in the spool and to project from the slot in the casing.

3. In a device of the class described, a

rotatable bearing, an axial shaft therefor, a supporting member having a crosshead and a casing forming therewith a chamber, a spring inclosed in said casing attached at one end to the shaft and at the other to said casing, a collar on said shaft within the chamber having a spiral, peripheral portion terminating tangentially of said shaft adjacent a slot in said shaft whereby a substantially arcuate guideway is formed for directing the end portion of. thespring to the shaft slot.

4. In a device of the class described, a cy- 'lindrical casing having a longitudinal slot,

a cap for said casing, a spring-actuated spool having one end rotatably secured to said cap and free at its opposite end, means for maintaining said spool concentrically of said casing, means for detachably securing a strip of flexible material to said spool, and means for withdrawing the strip from the casing against the tension of the spring.

5. In a device of the class described, 2, cylindrical casing, a cap therefor, having a member provided with a central bearing, a

spool having a shaft extending through said an annular slot, a tubular body portion seated at one end in said slot and having a 10ngitudinal slot extending from a point adjacent said head to its opposite end, and an annular guiding ring secured to said end and adapted to form a guiding portion for the free end of said spool.

7. In a device of the class described, a

spool comprising a head provided with means for automatically rotating the same, a tubular body portion longitudinally slotted from a point adjacent to its head to its end, and an annular guiding, ring detachably secured to the end of said tubular body portion and closing said slot.

8. In a device of the class described, a longitudinally slottedcasing having a cap, a spool having a longitudinally slotted body portion, a head detachably secured thereto at one end, a head fixedly secured thereto at the opposite end, means for rotatably supporting said. spool from said cap, a spring actuated means for causing relative rotation between said cap and said spool.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK W. COLBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

